At Every End Is A New Beginning
by SCJO4EVA
Summary: It is the 10th Anniversary of the Stargate Programme. A Big Party, The return of an old Friend and a new beginning for Jack & Sam.
1. An Invitation

The 4 members of Stargate Commands front line team each took their seats at the SGC Briefing room table right on time. On the left hand side was Lt Colonel Mitchell who even though the most senior and the commander of this elite team, was also the newest member.

To his right, sat his 2IC, Lt Colonel Samantha Carter. Although previously the leader of SG-1,Carter had only recently returned from a 5 month stint at the pentagon heading up a new research team for the development of Prometheus II. If she was honest with herself though the real reason behind the transfer was the personal losses she had suffered just prior to the position becoming "conveniently available", her father's passing and the moving onwards and upwards of a particular Colonel left her questioning the real reasons she was in this job in the first place..

On the opposite side of the table sat her two best friends, Dr Daniel Jackson, her rock, her lifeline and the only man who seemed to be a constant in her life, and Teal'c who although he didn't say very much would always be there for her no matter what…

"Goodmorning SG-1" The newly appointed General of the SGC strolled towards the table but did not sit down. "You are probably curious to know why I have called this briefing so early on a Friday, Well… Your mission to P4C-978 has been cancelled for today you are officially on standown for the next week"

"Sir.. Can I ask why?" Mitchell asked.

"Well, we have a visitor arriving…. (Looking at his watch) any minute now actually, and he has an important announcement to make that will hopefully answer that question for all of us."

As if on queue the briefing room door opened and Walter announced the arrival of this "visitor".

"Sorry to interrupt Sir, but the General has arrived"

"Show him in, thank you Walter"and hemoved towards the door to greet the guest.

Carter held her breath as the all too familiar figure strolled in through the door. Dressed in his dress Blues and removing his hat as he walked towards the table was General Jack O'Neill.

"Good morning Kids" came the familiar phrase as O'Neill glanced at each of the wide eyed, opened mouthed people at the table. "Great to be back".

"It is good to see you well O'Neill, it has been many months" Teal'c unusually was the first to speak.

"Good to see you Jack" commented Daniel as he stood and shook the hand of his best friend.

Still sitting at the table and only justrealising she was still holding her breath Carter looked at Jack. As she did, he caught her eye.

"Carter?"

"It's good to see you sir" She remained seated

"Likewise" he commented.

O'Neill spent a moment longer looking at the face of his old 2IC, _"She looks tired"_ he thought to himself "_But as beautiful as I remember… Jeez Jack, it's only been 5 months…. Yeah 5 months too long…"_

"General" Mitchell stood interrupting Jack's train of thought. "Good to see you"

"Taking care of my team I hope"

"Well we're all still here"

"Glad to see that"

General Landry put an end to the small talk eagerly wanting to know why the Head of Homeworld Security had said he urgently needed to speak to him and the members of SG-1 and had requested that they were put on standown for the next week..

"So General, would you like to sit down and tell us why you are here"

O'Neill moved around to the other end of the table but remained standing with his hands gripping the back of the black leather chair. As he moved, the men standing all retook their seats..

"Well…" O'Neill spoke "As you may or may not be aware this weekend marks the 10th anniversary of the Stargate Program"

All eyes were on O'Neill..

"I know I know…." he continued "Hard to believe we have been at it this long.. Well, in order to commemorate the 10th anniversary, The President has decided to invite you all to a celebrator bash at the Whitehouse this weekend, Saturday night to be exact"

Shaking herself out of her daydream, Carter spoke up. "Sir, that seems a bit unusual, I mean why now? The president could have invited us years ago to the White House, I thought the whole idea was to keep us hidden away down here, not go throwing a huge party in our honour?"

Jack was completely taken by surprise by her reaction. Can this be the same woman that he left only 5 months ago. That Sam Carter would never have said that the idea was to keep them hidden and even if it was, she had never expressed her disliking of it to anyone.

"Well Carter, I can't speak for the President, but I don't think he was planning on hiding you forever, nor the Stargate Program, and anyway that's not what this dinner is all about, it is to thank you all, actually "US" all for saving the world…What at least 100, maybe 200 times over…"

"Yes Sir" Carter continued to look down at the table afraid to look at the man who 5 months ago broke her heart when he left the Stargate Program to become Head of Homeworld Security. The man who she had loved for over 5 years, ok 8 if she was being completely honest, and he just up and walked out of her life with giving her so much as a second thought.

Daniel, sensing the tension between the two spoke up "Well I for one am looking forward to it, When do we leave Jack"

"As soon as you are ready Daniel, there is a plane ready to take us all back at 2000 tonight"

Standing, General Lamley brought an end to the so called briefing "Well, there you have it, thank you for coming down and telling us all personally General, I am sure the team here are going to have a wonderful time.

"Are you not coming General Landry" Teal'c raising an eyebrow asked.

"Ah no, unfortunately not Teal's I am needed here, I have 12 teams off-world at present and plus, I have only been here for a couple of months, but you should all go, you are all on downtime, have a wonderful time SG-1 and I will see you all back here bright and early on Monday morning… Dismissed"

All parties at the table stood as Landry headed towards the door.

Mitchell walked after him "Ah General, can I have a word in private" with that, the two newest members of the SGC left the room, leaving the 4 original team members standing around the table.

"So Jack.. How's life in Washington" Daniel asked..

"Good Daniel, full of paperwork, you know how it is, what about here, everything going ok"

"Well Sir, you should know, don't you read all of our mission reports" Carter now feeling more relaxed addressed her former CO.

"Yes Carter… I was just making conversation" Jack was quick to point out. "Well, you should all go home and pack I guess… and that means go home Carter, not stay here for another few hours and then head home…"

Managing a small smile and remembering the way Jack use to tease her about not having a life and working too hard she looked at the men standing around her "Yes Sir, see you tonight" and left the room.

"I too have much to do, I will see you this evening O'Neill" Teal'c nodded and followed in Carter's footsteps.

"Ya know Jack…" Daniel started bring Jack's attention back to the room. "Sam hasn't been the same since you left, I mean you thought she worked long hours before, you should see her now, she never goes home, she's constantly in her lab working on something that doesn't really require her 24 hour attention…. She….."

"I know Daniel, I know.." O'Neill looking back towards the door whispered quietly, not so much to Daniel than to himself…


	2. Saying Goodbye The First Time

Note: Hey Guys, thanks for all the reviews. This is my first ever fan fic and I am so grateful to have only positive comments.

Disclaimer: Not Mine, But hopefully one day...

Well, on with the story:

Samantha Carter headed from the briefing room towards her lab _"Damn him" _she thought to herself. "_I finally worked it all out, I finally got you out of my head and now you show up again, like this, with an invitation to the White House… Why couldn't you just stay away, stay in Washington"_

She reached her lab and took a seat at the small stool leaning her elbows on the silver lab workbench.

Samantha Carter hated feeling like this, she hated the fact that this man, this man that was in her life for 8 years, this man who left her without so much as a proper goodbye, still had so much of an effect on her.

For 8 years he had been there for her, sure he was her CO and she respected him as such, but beneath the surface he was so much more than that, he was the man that she thought she was destined to spend the rest of her life with… Sue there was Pete, and she loved him, but not like she loved this man, not like she loved Jack..

Again, as if on queue there was a slight tapping on the lab door.

"I thought I told you to go home and pack" Jack said from the doorway.

"Yes Sir, I was just…" Fiddling around with some things on the desk to make it look like she was doing something " I was just packing up this little experiment, wouldn't want Felger in here playing around with it, who knows what would happen"

"Felger is still here, I thought I got rid of him after I left"

"Sir!"

"Yeah ok, I would never do that.. So Carter, like I said, shouldn't you be at home packing, you know, big fancy dinner….Washington…The President… Remember?

"Yes Sir, I'm on my way"

Jack looked at her unconvinced as he took a few steps forward into her lab.

"I mean it Carter, Don't make us all late now will you"

She reacted almost immediately, as she had when he was giving her an order in the field. Standing up quickly from her stool, she moved towards the door, grabbed her coat and walked straight past the General into the hallway.

"Coming Sir?"

"_Oh yes Carter, I wouldn't miss tonight for the world… Literally"_ he thought, as he took one last glance at her lab before turning and following her down the hallway.

Sam pulled in to her driveway and glanced at her watch. _"Damn it" _she was going to be pushing it to get to the airport on time. She quickly opened her car door, and Just as she stepped out the storm that had been threatening all day decided to hit..

"Great, just what I need" she ran to her door put the key in and almost tripped over her mat as she stumbled inside.

As she began running around the house she started thinking _"Ok, shower, brush my teeth, pack some clothes… oh, clothes, the General didn't say whether it was dress uniform or formal or…"_

Reaching for her suitcase that sat above her wardrobe she started packing a number of different clothes "Well, better safe than sorry" and she continued to pack.

Pulling in to his old driveway Jack O'Neill was flooded with memories. It had been five months since he had been back to the SGC and lets face it, five months since he had said goodbye to the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He remembered the day he said goodbye to her like it was yesterday…..

(FLASHBACK)

"Carter?"

It was past 1am and she was sitting in her lab absentmindedly tapping away on her laptop.

"Sir" She looked up, surprised that he was still around, normally she was the only member of SG-1 still on base at this time of night.

"I thought I told you to get a life" he commented as he walked further into her lab and moved around to the opposite side of the desk to face her.

"Yes Sir I know, but Daniel really wants to do a translation on this device from P3A-393 tomorrow and I told him I would have my report ready for him"

"Well Daniel can wait, you look tired, go home"

"I will soon Sir, I promise" she said, and looked back to her laptop.

A few seconds later she looked up again noticing that the man standing opposite her was still there, and had an unusually concerned, sad even, look on his face.

"Was there something else you wanted to talk to me about Sir?" She looked up, and closed the top of her laptop as she knew whatever it was, was going to be big. She saw it in his eyes.

"I'm leaving" he said flatly

"What?"

"Leaving the SGC, for good this time"

Sam stared at him open-mouthed, she went to speak but Jack quickly raised a hand to silence her so he could continue.

"General Hammond retired yesterday, I've been asked to take over his position as head of Homeworld whatever… Anyway, I wanted to tell you before you heard it from someone else"

"Daniel, Teal'c?" She queried

"No, not yet, I wanted to tell you first."

"I can't believe it, I mean what about the SGC, what about SG-1 what about…" she stopped herself before she said something she was going to regret.

Jack picked up on her hesitation but chose to ignore it so as not to make her feel uncomfortable, that was the last thing he wanted on the eve of his depature.

"I've given it a lot of though, honestly Carter, I don't know how it's going to work out, I mean you know me, I hate paperwork, politicians and I really don't fancy moving to Washington. But the knee's are gone, I hardly ever go off –world anymore anyway and like you said once before, if I don't do it, we could end up with someone much worse!"

She smiled as she recalled saying those same words when he came to his friends for advice when being offered the position as head of the SGC.

"I don't know what to say Sir.. We will definitely all miss you" Sam felt her eyes tearing up and turned her head back to the laptop.

"Sam I…….."

Sam immediately lost her breath at the use of her first name. He never ever called her Sam, not since before the incident 5 years ago with the Zaytar'c detector. She looked up, and Jack caught a glimpse of the tears she was holding back and refusing to let fall.

The gazed at each other, and she saw the minute he changed his mind. Once again Sam broke the stare and looked back at her laptop.

Taking his arms off the bench and standing up tall Jack decided it was time to go, they were moving in to dangerous territory. He wasn't even sure why he called her by her first name, he hadn't done so in years, it just kinda happened. Oh, how he wished he could tell her how hard this decision was for him, tell her that the thing making the decision so hard was having to leave her behind…

"I ah, I have to go, lots of packing to do"

"Yes Sir"

"It's been great Carter" He said as he headed towards the door.

"Yes Sir it has" She looked up and gave him one of her trademark smiles. He returned it, and turned his back to the woman he loved and headed down the hallway.

As soon as he was gone, Sam's tears started to fall……..


	3. Uncomfortable Silence

Note: Hey Guys, thanks again for all the reviews. I am loving this story, as I said earlier it is my first ever fan fic. Hopefully the first of many. This chapter is short, but ther whole story has been written so keep reviewing and I will keep posting...

Here we go:

The flight to DC wasn't overly exciting. Daniel and Teal'c sat next to each other and among many things, Daniel decided to teach Teal'c how to play Eye Spy..

Jack and Sam however sat quietly next to each other and barely spoke two words the entire flight. This did not go unnoticed by the other two.

"Do you think now that O'Neill has resurfaced he will speak with Colonel Carter about his feelings for her Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c raised an eyebrow in Daniels direction and waited for his response

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it was obvious that Colonel Carter was greatly distressed after O'Neill's departure from the SGC and that it was ultimately the reason why she requested reassignment to the Pentagon, I just think that now he is back, he should make his feelings known"

"I don't think so Teal'c, it's difficult, they are both in a very hard position. Career wise, the military just won't allow it, and personally, I think they are both too afraid of loosing their friendship to risk having something more."

He continued

"I also think that they both don't know how the other feels, it's not like they have openly admitted they have feelings for each other"

With that, Teal'c resumed the game of Eye Spy remembering that his friend was not there during the hole Zaytarc incident...


	4. A Conversation with a friend

Note: Thanks so much again guys. Seriously I cant believe how much everyone likes this story. Thank you thank you thank you...

Here we go again:

Once the plane touched down Jack, Sam, Daniel and Teal'c were immediately transferred by shuttle to their hotel. Once they received keys to their respective rooms and agreed to meet later at the hotel bar, they all decided to spend the next hour settling in and organising what they were going to wear for tomorrow nights big event, or at least that's what Sam was planning on doing. First however, was a long hot shower…

She took a moment, with the hotter than usual water surrounding her, to think about the man in the room opposite her. Why had he come back? Why did he have to say goodbye in the first place? Why hadn't he been in contact with her or at least made some sort of acknowledgment that she was still alive..

Turning the water off and rubbing a hand over the steamed mirror so she could see her reflection she mumbled to herself "You know the answer Sam, the reason he didn't come back for you because you never asked him to… What did you honestly expect from him, he is your CO"

Drying herself off and covering herself with one of the white oversized white hotel bathrobes, she made her way to the king size bed, and sat back with her head against the propped up pillows. Just as she closed her eyes to gain a moment or two of peace from her thoughts she was disturbed by a soft tapping at her door. She sighed, and lurched off the bed to see who it was.

After flopping down on the bed and making sure that The Simpsons were not on TV yet, Jack too decided to take a quick shower, the difference being however, that he needed a cold one..

Seeing her again, Carter… Sam, was in a word, hard. After the president had told him the news about the party his first thought was about seeing her again, not one day had gone past in the last 5 months when he had not thought about her. Her beautiful blue eyes, her amazing smile, and her incredible ability to make him feel so comfortable and at ease.. He didn't regret the decision he made about moving to Washington, but he did regret not staying in touch with her. The truth is, he just couldn't, what would he say. He was still in her chain of command, the same rules and regulations that had kept them apart for 8 years still apply..

Stepping out of the shower and getting dressed into his civvies, he decided that he should go and talk to her and explain why he did what he did….

As he opened the door to his room to step the three steps across the hallway to the opposite room, he stilled. Daniel…. "damn him" he muttered and closed his door quickly. He had opened his door just in time to see Sam let Daniel in and close it behind him.

"So Daniel, what's up" Sam asked whilst sitting back down on bed and making sure she was adequately covered by her robe. Not that she was really that worried, Daniel was like a brother too her and made her feel entirely comfortable in any situation.

"Nothing Sam, just wanted to see how you were doing" he asked whilst taking a seat at the desk next to the bed.

"I'm fine, why"

"Well just with Jack showing back up and the party and everything, I mean I noticed the two of you barely said five words to each other on the way plane, I just wanted to know if everything was ok… with you two I mean"

"Daniel, everything is fine" she reinstated. "Really"

He looked at her then, completely unconvinced by what he was hearing.

"Daniel, honestly, I'm a bit taken aback by it all, I mean we haven't heard from the General in over five months, and then he just walks in, tells us to jump and we do it"

"It's our job Sam, plus, you never questioned his orders in the past, why would you now?"

"Well we weren't exactly ordered to come Daniel, I think it was more along the lines of a request, its just….Aah, I don't know what it is"

" You missed him Didn't you, he was the reason you transferred to the Pentagon"

Sam sat still, shocked over the sudden statement made by her best friend. Daniel didn't move, he kept eye contact with her and he saw the frustration in her eyes, he knew he was right, she didn't need to answer..

Without waiting for an answer Daniel stood, replaced the stool under the desk and moved towards the door. Whilst reaching for the handle with his back still to her he spoke.

"You know Sam, no matter what happened five months ago, the fact is he is here now, and this may be the last chance you have to tell him how you feel"

With that, Daniel shut the door leaving Sam to fall backwards onto the bed and close her eyes, willing the tears that she could feel building up to stay away.

Sam spent the next ten minutes lying on her bed not moving. _How could he, she thought, how could Daniel come in here and question me about the General, he wasn't the reason I went to the pentagon, well… maybe part of it, but definitely not the biggest part, Oh come on Sam, why are you letting this bother you, it's not like your still in love with the guy…. Is it? _

_He is the most arrogant, self centred man you have ever met, but yet he is also the most caring, comforting and most handsome man you have ever met…_

_Damn it, Damn him…. I hate how he makes me feel._

She rolled off the bed and began to get dressed for dinner.


	5. Dinner

Note: A short chapter, but stick with it, it only gets better... Trust me...

Promptly arriving at 7pm at the hotel bar, Sam took a seat at the table and waved to Jack as she sat down who was presently standing at the bar. She sat opposite Tel'c and Daniel who immediately noticed how good Sam looked in her black skirt, floral shirt and denim jacket.

"Here we go kids" coming back from the bar and quite extraordinarily balancing the four drinks, Jack took his seat next to Sam. She looked at him briefly as he passed her the diet coke he had ordered for her, and she smiled thankfully. One of her gorgeous, trademark Sam Carter smiles. Jack smiled quickly and turned to hand the guys their beers.

"Here we go, Daniel, T.. So, what has been happening in SGC Land lately? I mean I see all the reports, but nothing beats the real thing right"

Daniel spoke up first "Well Jack, it was your decision to leave, you easily could have stayed"

"Daniel!" Jack warned.

"Well actually Sir, it's true.." Sam continued where Daniel left off "You didn't have to leave, it was entirely your decision.

"I know that Carter…….. but, like I said to you before I left, the knees are gone, and I feel like I can do so much more here than I can at the SGC. Plus, Hank is one of my best friends so I knew he would fit right in and look after everyone for me."

"Yes Sir"

"Anyway enough of that depressing stuff, so T, how is the family"

"They are well O'Neill, Ryac and his betrothed are now expecting their first child, I will be visiting then next week"

"That's great T… "See, this is the kind of stuff I miss"

After having a few more rounds of drinks and with Daniel becoming louder and louder and noticeably drunk, the four friends decided to call it a night. Teal'c graciously lent Daniel his arm as they headed back to their rooms.

Saying their goodnights, and agreeing to meet again for breakfast in the morning, Daniel and Teal's disappeared, leaving Jack and Sam standing in the hallyway.

"So Carter, you up for another drink before we call it a night"

"I'm not sure Sir, I thought I might get up early and take in some of the sights tomorrow, I havent been back here in a while"

"Aaaahh, come on, we haven't seen eachother in months and now you would rather go to sleep than sit up, have a drinks and watch the Simpsons with me in the comfort of my hotel room"

"Well Sir, it's not my fault that we havent seen each other in five months…..Sir, she added quickly realising that what she said was probably a little bit too harsh.

"Well if thats the way you feel Carter, have a good night and I will see you tomorrow at dinner"

Without waiting for a response Jack left, leaving Sam standing on her own in the hallway.

"Yes Sir" she mumbled sarcastically. "Until tomorrow"


	6. The Party

Note: Finally up to the good bits... Let me know what you think. I decided to skip what they did during the day because I thought it might drag it out a bit too long plus, I think I'm up to the parts that everyone wanted to read...

The night was in full swing when Daniel and Teal'c arrived. They immediately headed towards the bar at the opposite end of the room. They stopped at the bar, with Daniel ordering a guiness and Tealc an orange juice. _"I have been hanging around Jack way to long"_ Daniel thought and he took a swig from the bottle.

Surveying the room, Daniel and Teal'c took in the surroundings. The banquet hall of the white house was a long rectangular room with cream walls and high ceilings, in the centre of which hung an extravagant chandelier. The room was adorned with around 25 tables, each with crisp white linen and blue balloons escaping from the middle. They sparkled in the light produced from the chandelier.

To the right of the bar, was a large stage, which took up the entire length of the wall. A black curtain hung to hide whatever lay behind, and a small wooden lectern stood in its centre. To the left, was the doors leading out to the outside garden and entertaining area, where a number of guests had now gathered. The gardens were spectacular, and seemed to stretch endlessly into the night, with only the white stone path highlighted by hundreds, if not thousands of lights. Somewhere in the distance, the trickle from a small stream could be heard.

"Daydreaming again are we Daniel" Jack had been standing directly in front of Daniel and Teals and neither of them had noticed.

"Just taking in the surroundings Jack, Can I get you a drink?"

"Sure, Guiness" Jack answered, turning his back to the bar and resting his elbows on it and surveying the room. A lot of military types wandering around he thought, in amongst the dress blues, there were a few suits, and a few tuxes. Jack himself had decided to stick to what he knew best. He hated dressing up, hated wearing suits, so he stuck to his dress blues.

Daniel and Teal'c both decided to go formal, but not so far as to be wearing a tuxedo, Daniel wore a black suit with white shirt and black tie, Teal had gone for something a little different, a brown suit, that perfectly complimented his brown hat.

"So O'Neill, have you seen Colonel Carter this evening, we have not seen her since we arrived" Teal asked, gazing across Daniel to hear Jack's answer.

"Nope, haven't seen her, though I am sure she is here somewhere, it's not like Carter to be late to anything"

"I'm not sure Jack, I haven't seen her since we got here" Daniel jumped in.

"Well Daniel, there are a lot of people in Uniform, maybe you just couldn't see her with all the blue in the room"

"It's hardly like Sam to blend into a crowd Jack plus, who said anything about her wearing a uniform, I thought it was optional"

"Well you know Carter, there are a lot of military big-wigs here Daniel and she will want to impress them with her good solider girl routine"

"I hardly think so Jack"

Teal's stood and watched the two men debate. Personally, he didn't care what Colonel Carter wore, she always stood out in a crowd no matter what, and she was an exceptionally beautiful woman.

"General Hammond approaches" Teal'c said sternly interrupting the two men who were still busying themselves on the topic of Carter's dress choice for the evening.

"General" Jack spoke First "Good to see you Sir".

"I'm retired Jack, loose the Sir" he replied, whilst shaking the younger mans hand.

"Good to see you George"

"Likewise Daniel"

"General Hammond" Teal'c lowered his head as a sign of respect for the man who had taken him under his wing all those years ago and allowed him to become part of the infamous SG-1.

Jack continued…

"So, George, how's retirement, by the way I love the office, had to change a few things round though, there's a great view out that window, not sure why you had your back to it, I could stare out of it for hours"

"Well Jack, if I did that I would have the chance to read any of your reports now would I"

"There's that…." Jack looked embarrassed.

"Well, I will leave you three to it, have a good night, oh and Jack, if you see Sam can you tell her I said it's now or never"

"Sir?" Jack looked at him questionly

"She will know what it means Jack, have a good night"

General Hammond turned his back one final time to the three male members of SG-1, it was hard, they were like family, and though he tried to treat everyone under his command as equals, he would always hold a special place in his heart for the four members of his favourite and without a doubt best, front line unit.

Jack, Daniel and Teal'c remained at the bar watching the older man walk back across the room from the direction he came. Jack begun thinking about what he had to pass on to Carter, what did he mean by It's now or never?..

"Sam!" Daniel interrupted his train of thought as always.

"I do not see her Daniel Jackson" responded Teal'c looking around the room.

"Over there, she went out the doors to the garden; at least I think it was her"

"I believe you may be seeing things Daniel Jackson, I id not see anyone matching Colonel Carters appearance exit through that doorway."

Before the two men could continue the debate the older, wiser Jack intervened. "I will go and check it out, you two stay here, and if it was Carter she was probably looking for us anyway"

Jack started walking towards the doorways leading to the outside garden area, as he walked, he dodged a number of people, nodding to those who glanced in his direction and occasionally saluting the younger, newer officers._" Wow this place is certainly getting crowded"_ Jack thought to himself as he dodged a final group of officers chatting to some very well dressed women, as he headed towards the door he was lucky enough to grab two glasses of champagne of a passing waiter and he stepped out into the cool night air..


	7. A late night stroll

Note: Thanks again for all the reviews guys. Here is the next chapter. Still hraps more to come. Hope you like it...

Jack stood on the balcony and looked around for Carter, he stepped down the three small steps from the hall into the garden, and for the first time realised how chilly it was, he looked up, a beautiful night with not a cloud in the sky. Jack began walking towards an area that had been set up with a dance floor and where a small four-piece band was playing. Maybe carter is dancing or something… He kept walking, however a familiar voice coming from behind him stopped him in his tracks.

"Looking for me Sir"

Jack turned slowly, and dropped his head as he turned. His eyes widened when he notices that the woman standing in front of him was wearing strappy silver shoes with diamantes across the front, he slowly moved his eyes upwards taking in her beautiful dress, and not to mention her beautiful figure.

Samantha Carter stood before him in an elegant, almost floor length black gown. The back gown, with shoestring straps that crossed elegantly at her back and fell flowingly to her ankles, left Jack speechless.

To top it off, she was wearing a stunning diamond necklace, that matched her earrings, her hair was out, however she had done something different with it, it was more flicked out he thought, and her eyes, whatever she had done with her makeup to make her eyes……

"Sir?" Carter interrupted his train of though. "Was that for me?" she asked, looking at the Champayne glasses he still held, though he can't imagine how he managed to do that, he had completely forgotten he was holding them.

"Ah, yeah Carter…. Here" he said passing her the glass, still in a state of shock at her appearance, she was without a doubt the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. _"And you are only realising this now you moron"_ He scolded himself..

"Are you having a good evening Sir, I know how much you hate these big formal events?"

"Well you know me Carter, I love dressing up." Sam smiled, one of her million dollar smiles that he missed so much.

"Well I think you look great Sir gone for what you know best I can see"

"You scrubbed up nicely yourself Carter, I'm glad to see at least one of us decided to ditch the old dress blues for something a little more…… flattering" He struggled with his words.

"Thank you Sir, I will take that as a compliment"

It was Carter it was.. You look….. you look really nice"

"Thank you Sir"

They stood for a minute just looking at each other, this use to happen all the time, they would stare at each other until it became uncomfortable, and one of them would have to look away. Tonight, it was Sam..

Sam turned away quickly, becoming aware that she was staring at her co and having rather inappropriate thoughts. But she couldn't help it. The man in front of her was everything she had ever wanted in life, he was strong, caring, protective and fair, and his eyes, his eyes told her something that she hadn't quite worked out yet. There was a longing in them, every time she started at him there was something about his eyes that drew her to him. One day, she though, one day I will be able to look into those eyes and not have to hide how I feel.

"So Carter, care to talk a walk with an old General"

"Sure Sir, I'd like that"

Jack gestured towards the path and allowed Sam to set the pace as they walked slowly through the gardens, leaving behind the majority of the guests they walked in silence, a comfortable silence though, something that they were use to, and something that they both missed terribly, though neither of them would care to admit it.

They continued walking until they came to a small wooden bridge that spanned a small creek that ran through the garden. Sam stopped, leaning her arms on the wooden railing, being careful not to spill her barely touched champagne, and she stared out into the darkness distance, the only light being the tiny fairy lights that outlines the path in front and behind them.

Jack stood back, leaning on the back of the bridge against the railing, taking in the sight of the woman in front of him as she gazed off into the distance. She was incredible he thought, he had nothing but complete adoration for this woman. She was a fantastic air force officer, and amazing leader, not to mention brilliant scientist, Hell, she had saved his butt more times than he would care to admit, but underneath it all, underneath the air force greens that she wore each day, there was this woman, this woman who was loving and gentle, kind and completely and utterly selfless, not to mention absolutely beautiful. He cared about her so much, hell he would even go so far as to say he loved her.

He took a step towards her, and with every ounce of strength he had stopped himself from wrapping his arms around her from behind. Instead, he settled on leaning on the railing next to her, and gazing out into the distance.

"So Carter, what you looking at"

"Nothing Sir, just thinking.." She broke her gaze ahead and looked at him. He was standing so close to her she realised, one step, half a step even, she could easily reach out and touch him or kiss him or….

"What you thinking about"

"My dad, I really miss him on days like today" He noticed that she neglected to add a "Sir" or "General" on the end of it, but he chose to ignore it, knowing that he was now speaking to Sam, a friend, not his former 2IC

"He was a good man, I'm sure he would be extremely proud of you" He added, not looking at her, but continuing to stare out into the distance.

"I'm not so sure Sir" Back to the Sir again he noticed.

"Now why on earth would you think that" He reacted then, looking at her and hoping that she would look back at him and meet his gaze. She did, but it didn't last long, she turned to face him, but glanced at her feet.

"It's just…….. just that…." She sighed and dared not look at him, otherwise he would have seen the tears behind her eyes. She was a solider, she wasn't suppose to cry, this wasn't who she was, and especially not in front of this man.

"Carter, whatever it is you can tell me" He grabbed her shoulders lightly urging her to look at him. She did, and he could see the tears begin to well in her eyes.

"Its just, I lied to him, the day he died, he asked me something and I lied to him, and now I don't have the chance to take it back or change it, I knew exactly what he meant but I chose to ignore it and now he's gone and he will never know" Her tears at this point were flowing freely, she quickly turned and looked away from him taking up her previous position at staring into the darkness.

Jack just stood there, he didn't know what to say, he didn't know what she was talking about, but he didn know that whatever it was, was big. Samantha Carter never cried openly, not even at her fathers funeral, he remembered because Daniel and Teal'c were both worried about her lack of emotion and how she was bottling it all up, the all agreed that one day it would just hit her and she would explode, Was this that time…. He thought.

"Carter.. He started cautiously, noting that she was furiously rubbing the tears away from her cheeks. "I don't know what you told him, and I don't know what he told you, but Jacob was a good man and he knows that you cared about him a hell of a lot, he would never ever be disappointed in you"

At that moment Sam looked up at him, her blue eyes catching his brown ones and the tears started flowing freely once more. Not because she was still convinced that her dad was disappointed in her,but because of how much this man standing next to her could make her feel so safe and so cared for no matter what the situation.

"Come ere" He said in almost a whisper, and in that moment he pulled her quickly to him, his arms going to her back and her neck and hers snaking around his chest. He rocked them ever so slightly as his lowered his head to her shoulder and turned his face towards her neck. He could feel her shuddering and knew that she was finally crying, finally letting go.

Although she did not tell him what it was that she lied to Jacob about, he knew she would open up eventually, and that no matter what he would be there when that time came.


	8. An early evening

Note: Thanks Guys for all the fantastic reviews.. Here is the next one. I hope you like it...

Jack wasn't sure what to do, he held her for what seemed like an eternity before her crying stopped and her breathing slowed back to a normal pace. He didn't let her go, hell, he didn't want to ever let her go, but she made the move, and stepped backwards bringing her arms down to her sides. Jack reluctantly dropped his arms from her back and instantly felt cold, like he had lost something, but then, had he ever really had it in the first place.

Sam turned away from him, wiping her face which was now red and swollen. "I'm sorry Sir"

"Don't be Carter; I'm just glad I was able to be here for you"

"Me too Sir"

They remained silent for a few minutes before Sam once again broke the silence.

"Sir…"

"What" Jack replied ever so softly.

"Sir, I know tonight is a really important night, but I think it might be time for me to go back to the hotel. I really don't feel like hanging around at the moment" Expecting Jack to protest, Sam held her breath.

"Of course, you don't have to stay if you don't feel up to it, I will let Danny and T know that you have gone, and I will pop past later to make sure your ok"

Wow, she thought, letting her breath go, that was not what I was expecting.

"Thank you Sir"

"No problem Sam, come on, lets go get you a cab".

It wasn't until the General had safely placed her in a cab and reassured her that he would call past later, that Sam realised that he had actually called her by her first name.

_Why am I making such a big deal out of this, he use to call me by my first name all the time, it was never an issue then, why now.. Oh, why does he always make me feel like this?"_

Before she knew it, Sam was outside her hotel, she didn't even realise it had started raining until she opened the rear door and stepped out. Last time she looked at the sky it was crystal clear. She thanked the cab driver and made her way into the hotel, looking forward to a long hot soak in the bath.

It wasn't until after midnight that Sam heard a faint tapping on her door. She was in bed, and had changed into her satin pyjamas, but hadn't really gotten any sleep.

She stood, put on her light blue satin robe and walked towards the door. Looking through the keyhole, she saw that it was a very red-faced General. Figuring he had consumed a bit of alcohol, she promised herself that she would just let him know that she was fine, and make sure he was out of her room in 10 minutes tops.

She opened the door.

"Hiya Carter"

"Hi Sir"

He didn't make a move to enter her room, and she didn't make a move to offer.

"Just thought I would come past and make sure you are ok"

"I'm fine Sir, I was just asleep actually" She lied.

"Right, ah, well then I guess I had better make a move to my bed then too" O'Neill said as he leant his arm upon the doorframe.

"I think that would be a good idea Sir"

"Are you implying something Carter?"

Shaking her head quickly she responded "No Sir, It's just you look….tired and I'm sure you had a big night at the party with all those people to meet and greet"

"Right……. Are you sure Carter Sounded to me like you were implying something. Still gripping the doorframe "I don't like thinking that you are implying something Carter,

Sam noticed that at that point his arm had slid progressively lower on the doorframe and it looked as though he were about to topple over.

Without saying anything, she opened the door wider and stepped away from it showing him that she was allowing him to come in. He did, and moved straight towards her bed and sat down on the edge of it.

It wasn't until Sam had flicked the kettle on, that he looked up at her and realised what she wore.

"_My God she is gorgeous….. Shut up Jack, your drunk, she knows you're drunk and there is no way you are ever going to be able to go there…. Just forget about it"_

Sam felt very self conscious as she poured the both of them a hot cup of coffee, white for her and a very strong black one for the General. She knew he was watching her, she could sense it. Normally she would have lapped up the attention, but after tonight, things were different. She had showed him a side of her that she never had before. Well, maybe she had once, that time when he was hit by the staff blast, when she spoke to him alone in his quarters whilst he was recovering. He had seen her then; he had seen her cry at the thought of loosing him.

Shaking the thought out of her head, she walked with the two cups of coffee towards the bed and sat down next to him, passing him his cup as she sat. There was silence for the first few seconds while both of them were each wondering what the other was thinking, and both taking in how close in proximity they were to each other.

Sam was the first to speak though she didn't look at him; she just stared at her hands holding the hot coffee. "So… Did Daniel and Teal'c have a good time Sir?"

Shaken out of his daydream, Jack looked at her, noticing that she was busy looking at her hands and trying to avoid his gaze "Well actually Carter, there still there, looks like its going to be one big night… Teal'c is looking after Daniel who when I left, was looking just as bad, if not worse than me"

She smiled at that comment.

"Well at least he has Teal'c there to look out for him"

"Yep"

Again there was another uncomfortable silence, each of them slowly taking sips of their coffee and staring at there hands, as if looking at each other was not allowed. But then again it wasn't.

"_Damn regulations" _Jack thought.

After a few uncomfortable minutes Sam stood, took her cup and the one sitting idly in the Generals hands and made her way to the sink to wash them up. She had just placed the cups on the bench when she sensed the General behind her. She placed both her arms on the bench willing herself not to turn around and look at him because he would be standing right in front of her. She could smell him, and feel the heat from him.

"_What in God's name is he doing…. Doesn't he know what this does to me"_

Sensing her tense at his presence, and liking the way he felt standing so close behind her, Jack dared reach out to her. Just lightly, he touched her shoulder encouraging her to turn around and face him. She didn't and stood firmly with her hands planted on the bench.

Reaching out to her with both hands this time, grabbing her shoulders gently, he didn't leave her much option other than to turn around in the direction he was lightly forcing her.

Sam turned, but refused to look into his eyes, he was drunk she rationalised…., he didn't know what he was doing. General Jack O'Neill would never have allowed himself to stand this close to her under normal circumstances.

In another bold move, dropping one of his hands from her shoulders, he placed it under her chin and urged her to look at him. She did, her sparkling blue eyes caught his and Sam felt as if she was going to collapse, the pressure of the moment was all too much for her. Here she was, standing mere centimetres from her Commanding Officer with his hands on her.

Not being able to stand the tension any longer, Sam snapped, moving her hands to his, she pushed him away and stepped out of his range, she moved quickly to the bed, and sat back against the head rest propping up the pillows and flicking on the TV. She didn't say a word, and neither did Jack as he walked towards the door, opened it, glancing back at her ever so quickly and walked out into the hallway towards his room.

As he left, tears once again started silently rolling down Sam's cheeks.

Sam wasn't sure what time it was when she heard a persistent knocking at the front door. "Sam, Sam open up……"

"Shaking her head at Daniels persistent yelling, Sam looked at her watch, it was a little after 2. _"Great, _she mumbled _"I am going to be great company tomorrow with only two hours sleep"_

She opened the door and found an obviously drunk Daniel standing or slouching at her front door. "Hey Sam"

"Daniel, what are you doing here, it is 4am?"

"Aah, nothing really, just thought I would come past, make sure your ok, make sure I'm ok, make sure everyone's ok" Daniel stammered.

Feeling sorry for him, Sam grabbed his arm and led him in to her room, following her very cautiously, Daniel made his way to the bed as Sam directed and collapsed onto it as soon as she released his arm.

"I will get you some coffee Daniel"

"Mmmmm" He mumbled incoherently.

Realising that she was still walking around in her Pyjamas still, Sam picked up her robe and put it on, and started making Daniel a coffee. It wasn't until she heard his snoring, that she realised she was wasting her time. She flicked off the boiling kettle and went back to the bed.

Looking at Daniel who had now spread himself out over the entire king size bed, and who was snoring unbelievably loud, Sam realised there was no way she was going to get any sleep if she stayed in her room tonight.

Wrapping her robe around her more tightly, Sam leaned slightly over Daniel to check his pockets to see if she could find his room key. She couldn't. _"Damn it"_She whispered to herself. Thinking quickly, she walked quietly out of the room and shut the door behind her. Noticing how cool it was outside the air-conditioned room, Sam crossed her arms and walked to Teal'c room and lightly tapped on the door… No response… Tapping slightly louder this time and shivering slightly at the cold, Sam gave up when again there was no response.

She knew her only other alternative was the Colonel. She really didn't want to go and ask to stay in the room with him, but what choice did she have. Daniel was drunk and spread out all over her bed, his room was no good because she couldn't find his key, Teal'c was a now show…..

Sam ran all of the alternatives through her mind over and over. It wasn't until she again shivered at the coldness of the hallway that she made her way to the Colonels room and knocked.


	9. Staying The Night

Note: I know it's short, but its been kinda a tradition that I stop chapters in these sorts of places, so one more wont hurt...

Jack rolled over and tried to shut out the noise coming from the door. It had to be Daniel he thought, and he was just not in the mood. He had been awake for the last two hours kicking himself over his last meeting with Sam. The knocking got louder. _"Damn it Daniel, go to your own room"_

"_Sir, it's me… Carter"_

"_Shit, just a sec Carter"_

Jumping up out of bed quickly and putting on his black shorts over his boxers, Jack tripped over with a thud as he headed towards the door, reaching it, he opened it and seen that Sam was looking extremely tired and frustrated and… cold. _"Jesus Carter, you must be freezing, what are you doing standing in the hallway?" _He moved aside and beckoned her into the air-conditioned room.

Noticing as she walked past him that he was wearing only shorts, she refused to stare as she made her way into the room and sat down on the single chair that was resting near a small work table.

"_Sorry to wake you Sir, Daniel came knocking at my door about 15 minutes ago and I offered to make him some coffee but by the time I had, he decided he would collapse on my bed and start snoring, I tried to get his room key out of his pocket but couldn't find it.. _By this point Jack had moved to sit on the edge of his bed facing her, hands clasped in his lap... _"I then tried to wake Teal'c but there was no answer so….."_

"_So?"_

_So… Here I am._

Also sitting with her hands clasped Sam realised how tired Jack looked, as he sat staring at his clasped hands. He also looked uncomfortable, as was she. It was a bit inappropriate that she should be sitting in the General's room at this time of the morning clad in a blue Satin Robe while he sat on his bed in nothing but Black Shorts and Boxers. She stood quickly, getting ready to leave.

"_I'm sorry Sir, this is aah………, well I should go back to my room and try and wake up Daniel"_

Standing also, Jack replied.. _"Don't be sill Carter, you know as well as I do that Daniel will not move until this time tomorrow. You can stay here, it's late, or early, whatever way you want to look at it, and we both need our beauty sleep. _

"_But Sir"_

"_No But's Carter, your staying"_

Ordinarily, this would have sent warning flags up all through Sam, but she was tired, and so was the General, and he had sobered up by this point too she noticed, and there was no sign of his earlier behaviour.

"_Ok Sir" _She replied.

Moving slowly, Jack folded down the blankets on the right side of the bed and motioned for Sam to get in, slipping off her blue robe, Sam revealed a Satin Pair of Pyjamas the same light blue as her robe. Jack was breathless, he had never seen her look more beautiful than she did at that very moment, sure she looked gorgeous at the ball, but this was different, this was… Sam…

It did not go un noticed by Sam that Jack was staring at her; she had never felt more vulnerable than she did at that very moment, and she quickly moved under the covers as he directed. Pulling the covers over her, Jack laid on top of the blankets, being the perfect gentleman.

"_Sir, that really isn't necessary" _Sam said as she shifted to look at him.

"_It's ok Carter"_

"_Sir please, you will get cold,"_

"_We have been through worse"_

She smiled at that, and so did he as they remembered their time in Antarctica, not long after they had first met. They had both thought that they were never going to make it out of that cave alive. But they did, and they were here, 7 years later with the same love and respect as they had for each other all that time ago.

"_Sir I know it is hardly freezing, but I do not want to be responsible for you catching a cold now do I"_

He looked at her then and smiled, as did she. He lurched out of bed with an exaggerated groan, pulled back the covers and slid underneath. He could immediately feel the warmth that radiated off Carter. Whilst he was moving, Sam had shifted on to her side and her back was now to him. He liked this position, as he could stare at her without her even knowing it.

"_My God, you are beautiful…... why did I ever stop talking to you"_ He thought, at least he thought he had thought it, that was until Sam quickly replied.

"_Because Sir, it was easier that way…. For both of us"_

Jack stiffened, kicking himself that he had said that out loud for Carter to hear.

Stumbling Jack said _"Look…aah….Cater…. I um……"_

"_It's ok Sir" _She said not moving, still staring at the hotel wall. _"Goodnight Sir"_

"_Good night Carter"_

They both lay still for a period of who knows how long, each hoping the other had thought they were asleep.


	10. The Morning After

Note: Sorry it took so long.. Been planning a wedding. I cant believe how much is involved.. Hope you like the next chapter. I think it is my favourite, Let me know what you think. Still heaps more to come...

Jack awoke first when the sun started slipping through the curtains of the hotel window. Stretching his arms out above him and turning to lay on his left side, he gasped as he saw that Carter was lying next to him and had turned at some stage to face him She was still asleep... He quickly processed what had happened the night before. _"Damn, did I really say that out loud" _He thought.

It was at that moment that Sam opened her eyes, he saw a number of emotions pass through her first shock, realisation, nervousness and then finally she looked more comfortable. They lay there, each on their side staring at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Both snuggled up under the blankets yet still as far to their own side of the bed as possible. Sam thought to herself about what had actually happened for them to end up here. 10 years together, 10 years living for nothing other than the air force. They had both lost, family and friends during the time at the SGC, they had been through kidnapping, torture, and the thought that the other one may never return and now, here they were laying together, although not as together as either of them would have liked.

Sam's eyes widened as she felt the blankets move and Jack's hand come up from underneath to push back a strand of blonde hair that had fallen in front of her eyes, his touch was ever so gentle as he pushed the loose hair back and tucked it in behind her ear... Seeing Sam tense at his touch, and noting that she hadn't made a move to leave, or even flinch when he touched her, he left his hand lingering at her neck. He loved the way having her so close was making him feel. He hadn't felt this way about anyone since Sarah, and even now, laying like this the feelings he was experiencing seemed to be so much more intense than he had ever remembered feeling for his ex wife. Could it be that he had finally found the woman he was meant to spend the rest of his life with. Could she have been right in front of him for the last 10 years yet been so far away at the same time. _"Regulations be damned" _he thought.

Without realising it, Jack had begun using his thumb to trace small circles on her neck. When he realised what he was doing he tensed, but stopped as he noticed how Sam was leaning in to his touch, how she was closing her eyes at the feel of his hand on her skin.

Sam was in a daydream, never before had she had these feelings for anyone; she closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy this moment, enjoy how having him touch her was making her feel. She felt it then, he moved slightly and she opened her eyes to see that he was leaning towards her.

This is it she thought, he is going to finally kiss me, no virus, no time loop, nothing just me and Jack.

She felt his circles stop on her neck as he gently grasped her urging her to lean it towards him, they were mere centimetres apart...

"_Sam..." _Jack whispered, and he closed his eyes.

Knock knock knock………

"Jack, Sam, you in there!"

Jack and Sam looked at each other for a split second before Sam jumped up out of bed, headed for the bathroom and closed the door behind her without saying a word.

Jack however rolled onto his back and closed his eyes and hoped that he was just imagining that Daniel and his impeccable timing had struck again. No such luck.

"Jack, come on, open up I can't find Sam, is she with you?"

"Damn it Daniel" he mumbled as he got up and lurched towards the door.

He opened the door quickly and came face to face with a very frantic and an obviously very hung over Daniel.

"_Daniel?"_

"_Jack, thank goodness, have you seen Sam, I think last night I went to her room to see how she was and I fell asleep, now I can't find her. Teal'c hasn't seen her, is she by any chance with you?"_

At that moment Sam stepped into Daniels view from behind Jack. Her hair was wet and she was dressed in the hotels oversized white robe.

"_Morning Daniel, How are you feeling?"_

"_Fine Sam…… and ah you"_

"_Good, I didn't want to wake you this morning so I thought I would borrow the General's shower"_

Realising that he was staring at Sam wondering how on earth she wet her hair and put on the robe in that short time, he spoke up.

"_Aah, that's right, couldn't have Carter running around all day without having a shower now could we, plus, apparently you had a pretty big night and like she said she didn't want to wake you"_

Looking up at the two men and smiling Sam headed across the hallway to her own room. Jack's eyes never left her, and he smiled as she looked back at him before closing the door behind her.

Whatever had just passed between them was not un noticed by Daniel.

"_So Jack….., Sam, Teal'c and I are in town for a few more days, we haven't got any phone calls from the SGC yet telling us that the world is about to end, what do you think we should do?"_

Waking himself out of his daydream Jack responded _"Well to be honest Daniel, I was thinking about heading up to the cabin, I haven't been up there since last time I was with you guys, and I think it is about time I did some more fishing, I am a bit over all the paper work at the moment."_

"_Are you going to invite Sam?"_

"_Danny Boy, it took me 8 years to get Carter to go fishing with me, and even then she only cam because of everything she had just been through, I doubt she is going to want to come again"_

"_How do you know if you don't ask?"_

"_Believe me Daniel, I know"_

With that, Daniel wandered back to his room and Jack closed the door and headed back to bed. He was not yet ready to face the day, or the consequences of what almost happened...

After entering her room, Sam flopped down on the bed. She thought back to just moments before when she was inches away from kissing her CO.

"_God, how could you be so stupid" _She said to herself and flopped her arms down heavily on the bed.


	11. A Bold Move

Note: Hey Guys,

Sorry it has been so long. For those who asked I am planning my wedding. I get married on the 29th October. Not long to go now, and unfortunately everything is coming second to that at the moment.

Here is the next one to get you through, sorry it is short but the next chapter will be up soon.

It wasn't until sometime after 2pm that they all decided to meet up for lunch, or a very late breakfast as Daniel pointed out.

Sitting in the hotel restaurant, Daniel and Teal'c had arrived first, shortly followed by Sam who noticed, that they had both chosen to sit next to each other in the booth out of habit so she had no choice but to slide in knowing that a certain General would be sitting next to her in no time. She wasn't sure whether that was a good or a bad thing.

It didn't take long before Jack arrived, but if he felt uncomfortable with the situation he did not make it known to those around him.

"Good afternoon Campers, how did we all sleep" he said cheerfully as he took his seat.

"I slept very well O'Neill" Teal'c responded.

Daniel, who had at this point put his head down on the table and was obviously still struggling with his hang over mumbled without lifting his head. _"I don't remember much of anything Jack, but my head is telling me I need more sleep"_

"_No Daniel, your head is telling you that you need to lay of the Guinness" _Jack responded

"_Like you can talk Jack" _mumbled Daniel again.

Looking at her and smiling Jack addresses Sam next. _"So Carter, how bout you, did you sleep well?"_

Knowing that he was playing around with her and seeing if she would crack under the pressure Sam responded calmly. _"Actually Sir I had a fantastic night's sleep, once Daniel drifted off that is, nothing out of the ordinary, just nice and relaxing"_

"_Glad to hear it Carter" _

They sat in silence for a moment however it didn't last long as Daniel raised his head and asked _"So Jack, have you still decided to head to Minnesota for the next couple of days?"_

"_You're going up to the cabin Sir" _Sam questioned and tried to hide the disappointment behind in her voice.

"_Ah, yeah, thanks Daniel for reminding me... _He glared at Daniel who decided to give up and put his head back on the table. _"I um, I have a few days off too and thought it might be a good idea to go and empty out my lake if all the fish"_

Teal'c, who had been reasonably quiet all morning, decided this was the time to speak up on behalf of Daniel. _"Will you be taking any company on this trip with you O'Neill?"_

"_I um, Well to be honest I hadn't really though about it Teal'c, why were you interested? I thought you hated fishing"_

"_I do not hate fishing O'Neill merely the insects that seem to be attracted to us when we are fishing"_

"_But that's all part of the fun"_

Sam decided it was time to speak up, it was now or never she though, there was no way the General was ever going to ask her to go up to the cabin with him after what had happened this morning, so… finding the courage she asked.

"_Just a thought Sir, but we are on downtime for the next couple of days, and I really don't feel like hanging around Washington much longer, being my old stomping ground and all, so, well if you would like some company I'm sure Daniel and Teal'c would agree that we would love to come… I mean we all had such a great time after"….._ She took a breath …. _"After you invited us after Dad died, I personally would love to go again"_

Sam stopped, took a deep breath, and as she looked up realised that she had three sets of eyes on her, two of them with there mouths wide open.

"_Well Carter, I ah, I never thought I would hear you take up another fishing offer let alone ask if you can come along"_

"_I'm sorry Sir, I don't know what I was thinking I ah…….."_

Interrupting her Jack continued. _"No need to apologise Carter, I think it's a great idea, What about you Danny Boy, Teal'c?"_

Daniel answered for both of them _"Sure Jack, Why not"_


	12. The Must Avoid topic

**Note: Wow, I can't believe how many peoples birthdays are on my wedding day. Hopefully it brings me heaps of luck… Thank you for all your kind wishes, it is getting extremely exciting, I am counting down, only 5 weeks to go!**

**Here is the next chapter, I hope you like it...**

It was late afternoon by the time they arrived at the Cabin.. The trip to Minesotta was uneventful with each of them taking a turn at the driving. Upon arriving at the cabin the first thing to do was get unpacked, for the boys it was a matter of simply throwing their bags in a corner of the main living room, Jack had the main bedroom and Sam the spare.

Once settled, Sam decided it would be a good idea to unpack the groceries that they had picked up on the way while the guys grabbed a beer and decided to head out on to the dock. She was grateful for the time alone to get all her thoughts in order. She did not regret mentioning the 4 of them going up to the cabin for a few days was a good idea, but she was beginning to get a little nervous about it.

The last time they were here was just after her father had passed away, she was under a huge emotional strain and the guys were all treading on egg-shells around her in fact, The General hardly spoke to her at all other than asking if she was ok, and wanted another beer..

After getting back to the SGC things went relatively back to normal, at least, up until he left that is, but now, again, he was barely speaking to her, she figured he was either planning to come up to the cabin on his own and only offered because she had backed him in to a corner or, and the more likely reason, because he was regretted what happened the other night and does not know what to say to her or how to face her… "Yeah", she thought, "That's the one"

As she pottered away unpacking grocery bags, she heard the sliding door open. With her back to the person she spoke:

"Daniel, I told you I don't need any help, I am quite capable of unpacking the groceries, go and enjoy your beer with the boys"

Surprisingly, a different voice responded "Well Carter, the view is just so much better in here….." She spun on her heels quickly to come face to face with the General. He was blushing, obviously not meaning to have made that comment out loud. I have to stop doing that, he thought. He backtracked "I um, I also came in to grab another beer"

Sam smiled as he walked past her and grabbed 4 beers from the fridge. He closed the door and then held a beer up to her "Come on Carter, the groceries can wait, come sit with us and get eaten by the mosquitoes"

"Wow, you make it sound so inviting Sir" She said as she grabbed the beer from him

"Well at least it was an invitation Carter, if you say no I will make it an order"

She smiled, "Yes Sir" she said mockingly and headed outside with Jack following closely behind her.

It wasn't until 2 hours later that Daniel noticed it had started to get clod and that it may be an idea that they move inside and start thinking about what they were going to have for tea.

The decision to have a BBQ was mutually agreed upon and Jack, with the aid of Teal'c got everything set up, Jack without taking the time to set down his beer.

Daniel was grateful that he wasn't asked to help, as it gave him some time to be alone with Sam, he hadn't had the opportunity to speak to her properly since he went to her hotel room, and even then she didn't do too much talking, it seemed that he had offended her when he was asking about Jack, he was the first person to admit that it was a little out of character for him, but it was something that had been bugging him for years. So, this time he decided to steer clear of the subject, little did he know that a certain General was exactly who Sam wanted to talk about.

"Hey Sam"

"Hey Daniel" Sam replied scooting over on the couch in order to make room for him. They could faintly hear Jack in the background giving Teal'c pointers on how to create the perfect BBQ.

"So… Are you glad you suggested coming to the cabin?"

"Definitely, it's not often that we get the chance to just hang out like this... I mean we never did really... Only when one of us was lying in the infirmary or dying from an incurable alien disease like the General was"

"So how are Mark and the Kids?" Cutting Sam off before getting stuck on the "must avoid" topic.

"They are really good, the girls are growing up so quickly and Mark is doing really well for himself, it was a bit hard after Dad you know, but he seems to be ok now"

"That's good… and, how are you?"

"I'm fine why?"

"Well you've been through a lot in the past year and I just want to make sure that your ok, you guys are my best friends" Sam smiled at him then and Daniel moved closer to her on the couch. As he did, Sam laid her head on his shoulder and Daniel's arm moved around her to rest on her shoulder.

"Thanks Daniel, I just wish the General saw it that way"

"Sam I um…. I really didn't want to bring that topic up after the other night, I acted really inappropriately"

At this point Sam lifted her eyes and looked at him. "It's ok Daniel... really"

"Ok"

At that time Jack happened walked in to the lounge room where the two of them were snuggled up together. Sam and Daniel sat upright immediately, though neither of them really knew why. It's not like they were doing anything wrong.

Jack just stood in the doorway taking in the scene in front of him, he was not upset or angry with Daniel, after all, Sam and he were like brother and sister but he was however angry at himself, and it showed. He was angry that he was not able to be the person that could give Sam the comfort she needed, he was upset because Daniel and even Tealc' could hold Sam, and he could not.

"Dinner's ready" He said simply, and turned his back to the pair and walked back outside.


	13. Late Night Conversations

Well I did it, I got married. It was better than I ever could have imagined.. I am glad it is over though because now I can get back to my story YAY!

Here is the next Chapter. Tell me what you think..

The conversation over diner was nothing particularly interesting or new for the team, revolving mainly around the Asgard reproduction process or as Jack pointed out, the lake thereof. After dinner Sam once again took it upon herself to clean up after her fellow team's mates while she encouraged them to grab some drinks and she would meet up with them outside once she had finished. About 15 minutes into her cleaning she finished, grabbed a beer and walked out the back door, only to find Jack standing alone on the dock. She looked around, and could not see any sign of Daniel or Teal'c assuming that they had gone for a walk, although she had no idea where they would go at this late hour in the dark, she stood at the back door and looked out over at the man who was seemingly entranced looking over the lake and towards the hundreds of low lying stars.

After staring at the man for what seemed like an eternity, and silently mustering up the courage to approach him, Sam walked slowly and joined him on the dock.

Jack didn't move, although Sam knew that he must have known she was approaching him, he was after all black op trained and she didn't exactly hide her approach. Neither of them spoke. Both stood side by side staring out over the water and occasionally taking a sip of their drinks.

"They've gone for a walk" Jack commented answering Sams unspoken question.

Grateful for the break in tension Sam replied. "At this hour, I hope they know what they are doing" She looked at him, but he continued to stare out into the distance.

"Carter, we have travelled to other planets, I'm sure Daniel and T will manage walking around Minnesota, and it's not like they can go very far anyway"

"Yes Sir"

Ensuring the conversation continued so they didn't lapse into another uncomfortable silence, Sam kept talking. "It really is beautiful here Sir, I guess last time I didn't really get the chance to appreciate it all that much, I mean I know I did, but just with Dad and everything I don't really think everything sunk in"

"Well Carter, of all the places we have been this still has to be my favourite, nothing even comes close" He looks over at her, and she matches his gaze.

"I agree with you Sir" Their eyes lock at that point and Jack realised how sincere she was being. It was then he stopped to look at her for the first time since they arrived. She looked amazing. Casually dressed in jeans, a light blue shirt and denim jacket, the colours really made her blue eyes sparkle.

"Carter, you know at the ball the other night when we were talking, well just before I found you I ran into Hammond and he asked me to pass on a message to you, I completely forgot until now" Still looking at her.

"Sir?"

"He told me to tell you that it's now or never" He looked at her questionably hoping she would explain what it meant.

Looking nervous Sam looked away quickly.

"Carter?"

"I um… I have.. ah… no idea what he means sir"

"Carter, is there something your not telling me, something that involves Hammond"

"No Sir of course not"

"Then why the cryptic message"

"I um", she looked at him and he could see it the moment she gave in.

"I um, went and seen General Hammond about leaving the SGC… but Sir before you get angry and tell me why I shouldn't, I really want you to hear my reasons"

He looked at her and then motioned for her to continue and he noticed at this point that she wasn't able to look at him while she was talking.

"Ever since my father died I have felt like I was trapped while working at the SGC. Don't get me wrong Sir, I mean I love my job and I can't imagine doing anything else but there are just so many things that I feel like I have missed out on." She looked at him and hoped he would see her meaning, seemingly not, she continued.

"I had a conversation with my Dad before he died and he told me that I could still have everything I wanted, that I shouldn't let rules and regulations get in the way" She looked at him again, nothing….

"It's just that when I met Pete I felt like I was finally leading a normal life, like I finally had everything I ever wanted, and would still be able to keep my job at the SGC"

"And now?" He spoke quietly

"And now, even though Pete and I are over I still want the things that went along with it"

"Aah," It was at this point that Jack realised what she was hinting at. She had worked so hard over the past 10 years, dedicating her entire life to her work at the SGC and she felt like she had now lost her ex-fiancée, with whom she felt like she could have a normal life.. Yeah, he understood alright, but he had no idea what to say to her.

"Look Carter, I um…"

"Its ok Sir", and she touched his arm gently sending a shiver down his spine. "You don't have to say anything"

"Is um, is that what you were upset about the other night at the party"

"Sort of"

"Do you want to talk about it", and he motioned for them to go inside.

"Are you sure you want to hear it Sir, I mean I just told you I am thinking about leaving the SGC"

"Come on Carter" and he placed a hand on her back "Let's go inside"

As they walked back up the dock, Jack's hand never leaving the small of her back Sam felt an unusual sense of security. This is it she told herself. I am going to tell him everything once and for all….


	14. What If I want to be more than Friends

**Sorry about the long delays between posting, am doing my best to keep up with it during this hectic time of year.. Hope you like…..**

Upon reaching the cabin Daniel peered in and noticed Jack and Sam were sitting rather close to each other on the couch, beer in hand and looked to be talking rather intensely. Looking over Daniel's shoulder Teal'c just nodded and made his way to the back step and sat down.

"I will be right back" Daniel commented and walked inside.

Being careful not to disturb Jack and Sam he quickly went to the fridge, grabbed a beer and an orange juice and back outside. Jack and Sam did not lift their gaze. They knew what he was doing and they both appreciated It., though they didn't want them sitting out there all night because hey were too uncomfortable to come inside.

"Hey Danny, T!" Jack yelled after them just as Daniel stepped out the sliding door.

"Yeah Jack"

"You requested our presence O'Neill?"

"Yeah, look guys, why don't you too sit in here for a bit, Carter and I were just talking about going for a walk ourselves"

"Jack it is almost midnight"

"I'm a big boy Daniel, plus Carter will look out for me"

"That doesn't surprise me Jack, but why don't you guys go and talk in your room or something"

Sam who had been sitting quietly through the whole conversation decided to speak up.

"Actually Sir, It really doesn't matter, I'm getting kinda tired anyway so I might get some sleep"

"Sure thing Carter, see you bright and early in the morning"

"Night Sam"

"Goodnight Colonel Carter"

"Goodnight Guys" and Sam made her way to the spare room.

It was 4am when Jack woke to the sound of the sliding back door. wondering whether it was someone trying to get in. He reached beside him and grabbed the gun in the top draw. You never can be too careful.

He got up slowly, without making a sound he headed past Sam's room. It was then he seen that the door was open and she wasn't in there. Obviously, he had his answer as to who was up and he wandered back to his room and replaced the gun. Sitting on the edge of the bed for a minute he debated about whether or not to go and see what was wrong or to just leave her alone.

Screw it, he thought. She was one of my team members and I still have to make sure she's ok. He got up slowly and made his way out the back door, picking up his jacket on the way out. As he reached the back door he gazed out over the moonlit lake and saw Sam's silhouette standing on the dock in basically the same position they were in not too long ago.

He walked down the stairs and made his approach known so she would not turn around and throttle him one, I mean let's face it she does have advanced hand to hand training.

He stood beside her and looked her up and down. She was still dressed in her pyjama bottoms, and a tank top, he noticed she had her arms folded, but he could not see her face, it was completely in shadow.

"So Carter, what brings you our here at 4am?"

"Couldn't sleep Sir"

"Yeah, me neither I didn't realise how much Teal'c snored" He heard her giggle, but knew that it was only out of politeness.

"So….. You ah, you wanna tell me what's up"

"Really Sir, I'm fine I just couldn't sleep and wanted to some fresh air"

"Well, you can't get much fresher that this" He said raising his arms up over his head and stretching.

"No Sir, you can't"

"So Carter, how are things at the SGC, really?"

"Different Sir"

"Different?"

"Yeah, no better, no worse, just different"

"Is that why you want to leave?"

"Sort of"

"You're not being very helpful here"

"What do you want me to say Sir, I mean we were a team, the 4 of us, you, me Teal'c and Daniel and now that's gone, its just different"

"Things change Carter"

"Yes Sir they do, but not with us, no one could possibly understand what we went through together, I mean don't get me wrong, I till love the SGC, but I wish things didn't have to change, especially between us…. Especially between you and me" She went out on a limb with that last comments and she didn't know what his reaction would be, so she didn't look at him, but he looked at her.

"Carter…" she didn't look, "Sam" he reached out and grabbed both of her shoulders slowly turning her towards him. "Thing will never change between us, we will always be friends, I will always be here for you, I have told you that, and I meant it"

Looking up at him and feeling her eyes start to swell, she figured that she had gone this far, she might as well continue "What if I want things to change, what if I want to be more than friends"

He looked at her then, like he had never looked at her before, and within a few seconds, though it seemed like an eternity to Sam, he pulled her I to the tightest embrace, his head instinctively curling into her neck.

He whispered. "Sam, I am really no good at this, I mean after Sara and Charlie….."

"Its ok Sir, she mumbled almost crying in his embrace.

"Sam, for once let me finish……. "After Sara and Charlie I never thought that I would feel about anyone they way I felt about them, and then you…., you walked into that briefing room and you know the first thing I thought?"

"Oh no, not another scientist" She took a step back.

"Yeah well after that"

"I don't know"

"I thought that this woman, this intelligent, strong willed and beautiful woman, is going to be the death of me"


	15. I said, I want you to stay

**Hi Everyone,**

**Here is the next chapter. Thank you for all the reviews and can't wait to hear what you think of this one. **

They stood looking at each other for what seemed like an eternity. The stared deep into each others eyes, and maybe for the first time, Sam realised how hard this was for him. The General…. Jack….. was never one to show his emotions ever and now here they were, at 4am, at his Cabin, standing outside talking about being more than friends……. She had imagined this moment a hundred times in her head, but never thought it would ever happen.

General Jack O'Neill was first and foremost her superior officer, and even if there was potential for something more there positions and the very nature of their position wouldn't allow for it. She recalled her words from what seemed like an eternity ago when she spoke to the reporter that came to the SGC just before Janet's death.

"Sam"

Oh Janet, she though. If only you were here to see this,

"Carter" Instinctively Sam stood up straight, reacting to his orders as she always did.

"Sorry Sir, I was day dreamining"

"I can see that, want to tell me what about?"

"Oh just everything, you, me, Janet, Jonus, Pete, everything.

"Well that's a bit much for 4am in the morning don't you think"

"Yes Sir"

"Well tell you what, we leave tomorrow, ah today…… and I think we should save this conversation until when we get back don't you think. Maybe go out for dinner or something, where we have a bit more privacy"

"Really?"

"Really…. now come on, let's get back to bed"

After their return to Colorado Springs, several weeks went by with Sam hearing nothing from the General (Great, she thought, I have gone back to calling him The General). Things had basically gone back to normal, same old routine, going through the gate, having some extreme adventure that they probably should have never survived, and coming home. Each time she came home there was a faint hope that standing in the Control Tower looking down at her would be Jack O'Neill but, that time never came.

It was late now, as she looked at her watch, and the base was relatively quiet. Sam was just finishing up in her lab and reached to switch of the lights when a hand darted out from behind her and grabbed her around the waste pulling her to them. She knew who it was instantly.

"Jack!"

"You sound surprised to see me"

She spun around in his arms to look at him. "Well I thought after not hearing from you for a few weeks that you had forgotten all about me"

"Never……… come on" He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm keeping my promise to take you out for dinner"

"Jack, it's almost midnight"

"I know, but I also know that you wouldn't have stopped for something to eat in a while, you coming?"

"Yes Sir"

And they walked hand in hand out of the mountain.

The drive was short, and Sam knew exactly where they were going as she followed him on her bike. They were going to his place. He mind wandered almost a thousand times and her stomach was a mess with butterflies as she rode the short distance to his house. Once they arrived he walked her inside and offered her a beer, which she took gratefully (This meant she didn't have to go home anytime soon) and they sat in the lounge room.

He spoke first. "So, what would you like, I can order pizza, Chinese, Indian….."

"I thought you hated Indian!"

"I do, but I know you like it"

"Sir, I really don't think you are going to get anywhere open at this time of night"

"Maybe your right, I will just cook something" He stood and headed down to hall towards the kitchen. Sam followed.

"Sir, it's really not necessary, I am really not very hungry"

"Sam, its fine, go and sit down, I'm sure there is something that you will find interesting on TV at this time of night"

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Nothing, whenever I am up at this time of night there is always some science show or documentary on that's all"

Sam nodded and headed out of the room back to the lounge. Jack, who had been leaning on the counter pushed off it with a sigh and followed.

Sam had curled herself up in a ball at the end of the couch, with her arms crossed and her legs tucked under her. She had removes her SGC issue jacket and was now wearing a very tight black shirt (not that Jack noticed or anything…) and she had taken offer her shoes and placed them on the floor beside her.

Not knowing what to say at that particular point in tie, Jack just decided to sit next to her and see what happened. Nothing did, they sat in silence for 5 minutes before the tension got the best of her and Sam spoke.

"Sir, I don't mean to be rude, but it is really late and I should really be getting home" She didn't look at him.

Jack, rubbing both his hands over his face in order to try and hide from her replied into his hands "Stay"

"Sir?"

He looked up from his hands and turned to face her, her eyes growing wide with anticipation. She thought she had heard him correctly but she needed him to say it again, needed to hear the sound come out of his mouth, needed……

"I said, I want you to stay" He turned away quickly, worried at what her response might be.

"Sir, don't you think this is all going a bit fast, I mean we haven't even talked about any of this and now you want me to stay, I just need to know where I stand, do you know what I mean….. I don't want to stay and then tomorrow things go back to how they were it just wouldn't be right, and then there are the consequences, the rules & regs………" She took a breath realising that he probably didn't catch half of what she just said.

"Carter… Sam…" He grabbed her hand and made her look at him. "Don't you think I have thought about all of that?"…. Don't you think I have played this conversation over and over in my head since you first walked into that briefing 10 years ago... Look, we both know the rules, the regulations that stop this (gesturing his hands back and fourth) from happening, and they are there for good reason"

"I know"

"But…" grabbing her hands again "They are no longer an issue"

Sam looked at him, her eyes full of surprise and hope "What?... What do you mean no longer an issue?"

Jack smiled "It means Dr Samantha Carter, that I approved your request for you to retire from the Air Force, but…… There is one HUGE condition"

Smiling, Sam couldn't resist. "How Huge?"

"Massive…….. You have to stay on at the SGC as a civilian, you are way too valuable to leave all together, and you will be Hank's 2IC."

"I think I can manage that Sir"

"It's Jack now Carter"

Smiling, Sam replied. "It's Sam now Jack.

Jack simply nodded his head, as did Sam, both suddenly realising that there were no longer any boundaries between them, no longer any rules or regulations, and as Sam realised that this was the moment of truth…. it terrified her.


	16. At Every End is a New Beginning

**Hi everyone, thank you for all your reviews! This I thought would be the last chapter but aqm now thinking of adding one more, maybe based about 6 months into the future. Would love to know what you think …..**

**Enjoy **

Sam stood, silently and without a word grabbed her coat.

As she walked towards the front door, Jack stood in protest but she cut him off …"It's um, getting late, I think it would be best if I headed home and we talked about this some other time."

Feeling shocked and a little angry (though he thought that, that was probably not the right word as he could never be angry with Carter) he grabbed her arm. "Sam…" Sam didn't look at him, now totally embarrassed by her all too see trough attempt at escape.

"Sam… Look at me" Sam lifted her eyes and they met his. "I meant what I said, I want you to stay, I don't want to have to hide from this anymore and I know you don't either" He said so matter-of-fact.

Sam had no idea what to say, she was in shock by his totally open admission of how he felt about her, the reality of the situation had well and truly hit her and all sorts of ideas flew around in her head in that instant, why was she trying to leave? Wasn't this what she has wanted for the past ten years? The chance of a normal life with the man she loves, or is it too little too late, have they had their chance and missed it? What about him being in Washington and she being here, What about kids?

And then she said it allowed "What about kids?"

Jack dropped his arm from her's and looked her straight in the eye. "Honestly, I had never thought about it after what happened, but if I do decide to have kids, sorry, if we decide to have kids"…. Gesturing between them…. "Then I could think of no better person to raise them, you would make a wonderful mother Sam"

Sam felt a tear trickle down the side of her face, and Jack was quick to lift his hand to wipe it away, his hand lingered on the side of her face and Sam stood looking at him with her amazing blue eyes. "Come on" he said "I want to show you something"

Jack moved away from her and grabbed his coat that was next to the door, Sam did the same and followed him outside into the cool night air.

She followed him as he walked around to the side of his house and to the base of a ladder that reached up onto the roof.

"Sir.. Jack, Do you think this is safe I mean it's pretty dark" Jack didn't respond, he looked at her briefly and gave her one of those amazing smiles that he only gave her and then he made is way up the ladder ahead of her.

Shaking her head, Sam followed him up the ladder, as she got to the top and peered onto the roof her mouth dropped open, there, on the roof was a small area that was flat, unlike the rest of the sloping roof. It looked to her like it had purposely been flattened, in the tiny little space there was a chair, a blanket and a huge telescope. Pulling her out of her daydream Jack reached his hand down to help her up onto the space, she smiled as he pulled her up and she did a quick turn and took in the view.

"I had no idea you had this up here, you never mentioned it"

"Sure I did" Jack replied so sure of himself.

"Ah no Sir, you didn't"

"Sam!" Jack practically yelled at her as he grabbed both her elbows and spun her towards him "If we are going to make this work you are going to have to start calling me Jack, not Sir, not General just Jack"

Still shocked at his sudden outburst Sam simply nodded and whispered "Jack".

Still looking into her eyes Jack realised that they were having another "moment". A moment that they knew all to well, one waiting for the other to move, or speak or do anything to break the incredible tenstion. Sam spoke. "This is hard…. We still are so uncomfortable with each other but yet so comfortable."

"Yep" was all that Jack could manage whilst gazing straight into her eyes.

Sam moved away and turned her back to him. " I thought that things would be so easy between us, that after everything we had been through that we could just move into this next stage without there being any issues or complications…." She stopped and waited to see if Jack had a response. He didn't, and she continued. "But things are more awkward than before, I find it hard to look at you and not see the General Jack O'Neil that I have reported too for the last ten years, I still see the General Jack O'Neil that gave me both my promotions. If this relationship is ever going to wok I have to some how see past that, and I honestly don't know how"

Listening to her, Jack realised that she was actually terrified of what lies ahead, as he was, but for Sam it was different because she always knew the answers to every question and now he was seeing her in this totally vulnerable position, unlike anything he had ever seen before and this, he realised, was what he loved about her so much. Walking up behind her and standing close enough to whisper into her ear Jack spoke so she could barely make out the words "Sam, you don't have to know the answer to every question, you and I were made for eachother, the things that kept us apart were the very things that we had so much in common…. "Sam" He said, reaching to her shoulders and turning her around "I love you"

At hearing himself say those words Jack instantly felt ten years of tension lift from his shoulders. His eyes were glistening and Sam could see that he was struggling to hold back tears behind his powerful words.

"I love you to Jack"

Unsuccessfully fighting back tears of her own Sam leaned into Jack, and for the first time for as long as she could remember, her mind became completely clear as their lips met in the most soft and loving kiss, a kiss that stood for everything they had been through together and a kiss that stood for everything that was to come.

Jack whispered whilst leaning in to her, his face buried into the side of her neck as he had done on a number of previous occasions, though he had never felt so comfortable. "You see Samantha, at every end, there is a new beginning"


End file.
